Perfect “Honeymoon Part 2” Cruise
Carnival Fascination Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
Contributor Level:
Third Mate
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 5
Helpful Votes: 116
7 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 09, 2019
Ship: Carnival Fascination
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: R69
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Overall this trip was amazing, and I would do this cruise again. This itinerary is truly the best, but also very tiring, I think an extra sea day or two would really make it perfect. I was blown away by the staff and the ship too. I really think I prefer these smaller boats now which I wasn't sure that I would. If you are looking for a boat full of amenities and on board activities, this isn't the boat for you. One thing I really noticed was how laid back most of the vacationers were, there is really a different vibe on this smaller boat and I really enjoyed it.Embarkation
Quick and easy! We were on board within 15 minutes of arriving at port
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The dining room was essentially the same as all other Carnival Cruise line dining rooms. It was clean and the service was great. We did anytime dining because we like the flexibility.
The buffets were okay, typical of a buffet, we really didn't eat much there except a few things for breakfast or a quick snack.
The smaller boats like this don't have specialty dining restaurants which was okay for us. We did do the Chefs table though and that was really fun! They took us through the galley and we learned to make the chocolate melting cake - worth the money.
The other nice thing about the smaller boat like this is that Guys Burgers and Blue Iguana is open most of the time instead of just around lunch which was great.
Onboard Activities
One downside to the small boat is that there aren't a lot of activities to do onboard, especially on port days.
There is only one small pool on the boat and during busier times its filled with children. The serenity deck is also VERY small and only has two hot tubs, no clamshells and no pool, its a nice place to get away to and read or nap!
Our group didn't use the water park, but it looked fun.
I used the gym every morning and was surprised to find it not crowded! It was very well maintained and clean.
Entertainment
Typically our group doesn't go to the main stage shows but we decided to try them out this year. We really enjoyed Divas, and the Gender Showdown (my husband was the team leader for the men which made it fun - although it was clear that the show is rigged for the women to win). However we stopped going to the shows because we didn't really like the Cruise Director Mel (many people LOVE her, but we have previously been spoiled with Matt on the Vista and Ben on the Imagination).
The main entertainment that we always go to is the Comedy Club - this is a MUST. The location is great and the space is large (and conveniently located next to the Alchemy Bar). The comedians are hilarious and we went to every show that we could.
Other notes - Catch the Harry Chest contest on the sea day, my husband won and it was a crack up. Trivia is also offered on sea day and can be really fun too (I wish they offered activities like this in the afternoon/evenings of port days too)
Service and Staff
Okay, the service on this boat was 10/10.
Every dining room waiter we had was amazing. We ended up requesting Enrique and Ariana a few nights because they are great, funny and prompt. (Seriously, if you have the chance to sit in their section, do it).
Bartenders - Not to sound like alcoholics, but our group loves to drink on the boat (it is vacation after all! - and the drink package is a must). We had three favorite bartenders. Roma is the best, she is really funny and makes great drinks. We made sure to find her everyday, mostly at the back bar in the buffet area. She was great to hang out and chat with. We would definitely try to find what boat she is on before booking if at all possible (Sorry Roma, you might be stuck with us!). The other Bartenders that outdid themselves are Desislav and Sladjana at Alchemy Bar. They have true talent and I was there every night getting my Basil Drop. They ALWAYS remembered us by name and knew what kind of drinks we would like (even putting fun twists to my basil drop). They also worked at other bars, so when we would see them we would stop by for a drink. Desislav made my friend "the best Bloody Mary in history" at the atrium bar
Room Steward - Our room steward was the best we have ever had on any ship or hotel. Bagus is one of a kind! (I miss you Bagus!!). He was super efficient, often times I would run up for a cup of coffee and return to my room sparkling clean with a fun towel animal on my bed. We were in Cabin R69 - so if you want a great room steward book in that general area.
Ship Quality
I read a lot of reviews complaining about how old the boat was and that it is run down, etc. I did not find this to be the case at all. I found the boat to be very well maintained and I always noticed staff cleaning, basically 24/7.
One thing I really enjoyed about this smaller boat was the layout, everything was easy to find and remember where it was. You can pretty much get anywhere on the ship within a few minutes and I really liked that.
Cabin / Stateroom
Rooms are SMALL! I already knew this going in since I cruised on the Imagination in May. The small room didn't bother me at all, we really didn't spend time in there other than sleeping and getting ready for the day. There is plenty of storage in the room and room to get around. The larger ships offer a couch and a fridge but that is not the case here.
The only thing I wish the room had was a larger window sill, I like laying in the window sill and looking out at the water but I was not able to on this boat - which really isn't a big deal at all.
Ship tip
Read the fine print on the fun times. We had a very funny experience. This ship is bilingual since it sails out of Puerto Rico (which we thought was really cool). We really wanted to the "quest" one night and we noticed that quest was offered on two night this boat so we were happy to go to sleep early one night and then hit it the next night. However once we got there on night two we realized the whole quest was in spanish, which was really funny. So be sure you go to the correct quest! We had a good laugh at our mistake
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
We spent a week here before the cruise and loved it! Puerto Rico has a lot to offer. If you are there for a few days be sure to check out the El Yunque rain forest - it is truly spectacular. Old San Juan is also really neat, we ate at a lot of great places and walked around. It sort of reminded me of New Orleans with the architecture and cobble stone streets.
We decided that we didn't want to schedule "excursions" at every port this trip since its very destination heavy so we played it by ear on St. Thomas. We ended up going to Coki beach for the day and hanging out in the water drinking beers and white claws. Coki beach was crowded but beautiful! The water was crystal clear and the beach was nice and warm.
Drinks on the beach are expensive, stop on the way to grab some and then enjoy the day!
This was our favorite port - We will likely come back and make a vacation solely of St. Maarten.
We took the Billy Bones tour and it was well worth it. The boat was so much fun (free drinks on board - can't beat it). We stopped at multiple destinations and snorkeled in the beautiful water - I saw my first sea turtle in the wild - it was AMAZING! We stopped at a private island beach and walked around which was cool, and then got lunch at a local restaurant and the food was great. This tour was well worth the money and I would do it 100 times over.
Basseterre, St. Kitts Did not visit port
We ended up using St. Kitts as a "fun day at sea (or in port)" we were super tired since we had a full day in St. Maarten and the Chefs Table that night. We walked around port for about and hour and then headed back to the ship.
This was our second favorite island. St. Lucia is beautiful! We did the Cosol tour which is different than anything we have done on any excursion (normally we stick to water activities and beaches). This tour was great, we got a lot of history on the island and got to visit multiple places. We tried banana ketchup which is really yummy! And we stopped at the mud baths - they smell like sulfur but everyone had a good time (it was very crowded because RC was there too).
Just a heads up - where we stopped for lunch had some puppies and young cats that were malnourished and skinny which completely ripped my heart out as a vet tech, so just a warning animal lovers!
Okay, we took a cheaper excursion this stop and it was a cluster (blank). We did the turtle and shipwreck adventure and I would not do it again. There were too many people shoved onto a bus, then shoved off the bus and then onto a boat and then into the water. I cant count how many times I was kicked while snorkeling or had someone grab onto me (seriously, if you aren't comfortable in the water, don't snorkel, common sense people). Every time a turtle came around people would start shoving and kicking - I am surprised no one has drowned on this trip. Right when we got back on land we got a cab back to the boat because I needed to get away from the crowd.
Other than that, the island was great. I just wish I would have chosen a different activity
Disembarkation
Other than not wanting to leave, disembarkation was flawless. We carried luggage out and left after breakfast. The line through customs was a little long but went by pretty fast considering.